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How to Say ‘Does the set meal need to be ordered in advance?’ in Simplified Chinese

套餐要提前订吗?

tào cān yào tí qián dìng ma

[tao tsahn yaow tee-chyen ding ma]

💬 Usage Tip: Here 要 means "need to", not "want". 要提前订吗? asks whether booking ahead is required.

Phrase Breakdown

套餐

tào cān

[tao tsahn]

set meal

A combo meal with several dishes sold together for one price.

Example

这家店的套餐很受欢迎。

This restaurant's set meals are very popular.

要提前订吗?

yào tí qián dìng ma

does it need to be booked in advance?

要 means 'need to', 提前 means 'in advance', and 订 means 'to book'. 吗 turns the sentence into a yes/no question.

Example

票要提前订吗?

Do tickets need to be booked in advance?

Words in this phrase

要

yào

[yaow]

need to; must

Shows necessity or requirement, often used in rules, policies, and instructions.

Example

你要在规定时间内取消预订。

You need to cancel the reservation within the specified time.

提前

tí qián

[tee-chyen]

in advance; ahead of time

Used when something is done before the expected time or deadline.

Example

如果你提前通知,通常不会收费。

If you notify them in advance, they usually will not charge a fee.

订

dìng

[ding]

to book; to reserve

Used when making a reservation or placing an order, depending on context.

Example

我想订餐位,今晚六点。

I would like to reserve a table for 6 p.m. tonight.

吗

ma

[ma]

question particle

A sentence-final particle used to turn a statement into a yes-no question.

Example

你是第一次来吗?这里的“吗”表示提问。

Is this your first time here? Here, 吗 marks a question.

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